FRENCH EXHIBITION. 



289 



Jules Favre and the members of the Left in the 

 Corps L6gislatif, the Tribune, edited by Eu- 

 gene Pelletan, and the R&oeil } M. Delecluze's 

 journal, deserve special mention. Their cir- 

 culation on the 1st of November was, respec- 

 tively, 25,000, 18,000, and 14,000 copies. 



FRENCH EXHIBITION. In the ANNUAL 

 CYCLOPEDIA of last year, under the head of 

 the " French Exhibition," brief notices were 

 given of some of the material and machines 

 then exhibited, but there was a very important 

 omission in one of the awards of the new prize. 



The Emperor of France proposed ten awards 

 of 10,000 francs each (nearly $2,000 gold), or 

 100,000 francs in the aggregate, to ten differ- 

 ent individuals or associations, who, in a series 

 of years, had accomplished the most to secure 

 a state of harmony between employers and 

 their work-people, and most successfully ad- 

 vanced the material, intellectual, and moral 

 welfare of the same. A special jury was ap- 

 pointed from the different countries repre- 

 sented in the exhibition. Five hundred appli- 

 cations were received from France and other 

 countries on the Continent of Europe, from 

 Great Britain and the United States. 



Nine of the awards were given to France, 

 Germany, and other countries in Europe, one 

 to the United States, and none to Great Brit- 

 ain. The name of the Pacific Mills, Lawrence, 

 Mass., was placed third in the list of ten suc- 

 cessful candidates ; this award was among the 

 highest made at the Exposition, and the high- 

 est received by a citizen of the United States. 

 The recompense awarded consisted of a gold 

 medal with appropriate emblems, and motto, 

 and name on it ; nine thousand francs in money, 

 and a diploma printed on medallion card suita- 

 ble for framing. 



The " Pacific Mills " is the corporate name 

 of a joint-stock company, devoted to the manu- 

 facture, from the raw staples, of ladies' dress 

 goods, of cotton wholly, of worsted wholly, 

 and of cotton and wool combined, and the 

 printing or dyeing of the same. 



There are now in operation about 100,000 

 spindles for spinning cotton, with cleaning, 

 picking, and carding machines to supply them, 

 and about 16,000 spindles for worsted, with all 

 the necessary preparing machines to occupy 

 3,500 looms for weaving the two classes of 

 goods above-named and others, together with 

 22 printing-machines, producing a weekly av- 

 erage of about 700,000 yards. The machinery 

 is propelled by 8 turbine wheels, of about 1,500 

 horse-power. About 3,600 work-people are 

 now employed by the company ; of these there 

 are 1,680 men, 1,510 women, 80 boys between 

 10 and 12 years, 140 boys from 12 to 18 years, 

 40 girls from 10 to 12 years, and 150 girls from 

 12 to 18 years. 



^ In the origin of the establishment the prin- 

 ciple was adopted by the managers that there 

 was to be a mutual dependence between em- 

 ployers and employed, each having rights 

 which the other should respect. For the ma- 

 VOL. viii. 19 A 



terial well-being of the laborers, special care 

 was used, in the original construction of the 

 work-rooms, to make them cheerful, comfort- 

 able, and well-ventilated. Houses were con- 

 structed, which should give to families resi- 

 dences at a moderate rent, that would secure 

 the health and comfort of the work-people. 

 The weekly rent for these houses is about 

 equal to one-eighth of men's wages. Large 

 buildings were erected for the use of single fe- 

 males whose residences were at a distance. 

 The rooms are arranged for two persons each ; 

 well ventilated and lighted, and comfortably 

 furnished. Unmarried men are never allowed 

 to lodge in these houses, nor in any case a mar- 

 ried man excepting he is accompanied by his 

 wife, and even then but rarely. Females pay 

 about one-third of their average wages for 

 rooms in these boarding houses, including food, 

 lights, and washing. It is common to provide 

 coal, and sometimes flour, for the work-peo- 

 ple, at the cost price of large quantities. 



Each person employed by the company must 

 be a member of an association called "Pacific 

 Mills Relief Society," the entire management 

 thereof being in the hands of the work-people, 

 each officer being chosen by themselves from 

 their own number, excepting the president, 

 which office has always been filled by the resi- 

 dent manager. Each person, on commencing 

 service, pays two cents per week to the relief 

 fund. When the sum in the hands of the 

 treasurer of the society, who is always the 

 confidential clerk of the company, and keeps 

 the deposit with the company for protection, 

 has reached the sum of $1,500, the weekly sub- 

 scription of all persons who have been em- 

 ployed by the company three months ceases, 

 while it continues with the new-comers. This 

 condition of funds occurs so often that for 

 nearly one-half the time the older employes 

 are not assessed. Persons in the employment of 

 the company three months become full mem- 

 bers of the Relief Society, and entitled to certain 

 Privileges. If sickness occurs, preventing any 

 rom labor, the sick one becomes the special 

 charge of certain appointed stewards, to see 

 that a nurse and physician are secured, if ne- 

 cessary, and to draw from the wardrobe of 

 the society such changes of personal and bed 

 linen as the circumstances demand. 



Each sick person (if the illness continues 

 one week) who has paid two cents per week 

 for at least three months, receives $2.50 for the 

 first ten weeks of sickness, and $1.88 per week 

 for longer-continued sickness. In cases of 

 special need the officers of the society are au- 

 thorized to make an extra allowance. Those 

 who die poor have their funeral expenses paid, 

 and are respectably buried in the beautiful lot 

 in the city cemetery belonging to the society. 

 In some cases the deceased has been sent to 

 his native town, by the desire of his friends, 

 without cost. 



The total amount of money expended for the 

 benefit of sick members in twelve years of its 



